FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) – Six Connecticut women were recently arrested and charged, in unrelated incidents, with stealing a combined $59,958 from programs financed by the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
Jennifer Foux, age 46, of Dayville, Ashley N. Jones, age 33, of Middletown, Brittni-Nichole King, age 29, of Vernon, Michelle Plante, age 71, of Canterbury, Thayer L. Ebron, age 37, of Monroe and Angie M. Ludwig, age 32, of Hartford, were arrested by Inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Chief State's Attorney on separate warrants. All five women were charged with Larceny in the First Degree in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-122 and Foux, Jones, and Plante were also charged with one count of False Statement in the Second Degree in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-157b with Jones being charged with two counts of False Statement in the Second Degree.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit for Jennifer Foux, Foux received $19,030 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that she was not entitled to receive from October 2018 to November 2022. Foux is alleged to have failed to report a legally liable relative along with the legally liable relative’s income, to receive SNAP benefits. According to the warrant, Foux stated that she left the legally liable relative off of any of her paperwork “because of inflation.” Further, Foux signed and submitted her online SNAP redetermination forms where she never reported changes to her household composition and never reported that she was married, which Foux knew was not true and she intentionally misled Connecticut Department of Social Services employees. Foux was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in Danielson Superior Court, G.A. No. 11, on April 25, 2023.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit for Ashley N. Jones, Jones received $6,549 from two public assistance programs, which she was not entitled to receive. Of the $6,549, Jones received $4,421 in SNAP benefits and $2,128 in Temporary Family Assistance. Jones is alleged to have received public assistance in Connecticut for her minor child who was living in another state. Jones signed and submitted SNAP Renewal of Eligibility and Eligibility Determination documents, which included information that Jones knew was not true and intentionally misled Connecticut Department of Social Services employees. Jones was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in Middletown Superior Court, G.A. No. 9, on April 20, 2023.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit for Brittni-Nichole King, King received $11,870 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to receive from August 2020 to November 2021. King is alleged to have failed to report a legally liable relative that she was residing with, along with the legally liable relative's income, to receive SNAP benefits. King was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court, G.A. No. 19, on April 20, 2023.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit for Michelle Plante, Plante received $8,226 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to receive from October 2019 to November 2022. Plante is alleged to have failed to report a legally liable relative along with the legally liable relative's income, to receive SNAP benefits. Further, Plante electronically signed and submitted a SNAP redetermination form, which included information that Plante knew was not true and intentionally misled Connecticut Department of Social Services employees. Plante was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in Danielson Superior Court, G.A. No. 11, on April 25, 2023.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Ebron received $11,151 in benefits from SNAP that she was not entitled to receive from January 2017 to October 2020 by intentionally underreporting her income by providing falsified pay stubs to the Connecticut Department of Social Services. Ebron was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court, G.A. No. 2, on May 23, 2023.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit for Angie M. Ludwig, age 32 of Hartford, Ludwig received $3,132 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to receive from June 2021 to December 2021. Ludwig is alleged to have failed to report a legally liable relative that she was residing with, along with the legally liable relative's income, to receive SNAP benefits. Ludwig was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court, G.A. No. 14, on May 3, 2023.
The charges are merely accusations and Foux, Jones, King, Plante, Ebron and Ludwig are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services investigative division submitted the arrest warrant applications for the arrests of Foux, Jones, King, Plante, Ebron and Ludwig. The cases are being prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Susan Hatfield of the Statewide Prosecution Bureau.
Since the last quarter of 2022, the Office of Chief State’s Attorney has signed 46 arrest warrants seeking the arrest of individuals who have allegedly scammed Connecticut public assistance programs and is seeking to recover over $379,444.95 in restitution as alleged in those arrest warrants. So far in 2023, the Office of Chief State’s Attorney has recovered $32,717 through up-front, and court-ordered restitution.